The Dreamers'
by flamingflight
Summary: There were two groups...Dreamers and Originals...she wasn't either one (I think I first put this in the Digimon section but now thanx to a *very* nice reviewer I'm putting it where it belongs)
1. Tekken

The Dreamers  
Prologue: Fire  
*Think Ryoga's outfit  
**Original Rebel Base  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She was asleep when it happened, a frightened 4-year-old with no dreams and no hope. Somehow, she knew it was coming. The past few months had left hints that couldn't be traced by anyone but the ones with minds too innocent for sense. Small things, things like how a nuclear bomb exploded in a lab in Florida and wiped out most of the state's population. Things like how the sky darkened more day after day until the sunlight was a thing of the past. Things like how 'natural distaters' suddenly wasn't so natural after all. Things like how suddenly she knew they were coming.  
Yes, things were getting flaky around the edges.  
And now the flakes have broken the center...the core.  
They were here.  
And they wanted what was theirs.  
She was asleep when the fire erupted in her city. Asleep...but the screams woke her up. The agonizing screams of human torture and human pain...of human self-destruction. She sat up in her small, pink twin bed, her terror-ridden sweat matting her dark hair to her head. The room she once knew was so dark and the door burst open as her mother rushed in. The moment she saw her mother's blank, panic eyes she started to cry.  
Long screams of a child's pain.  
Her mother rushed over to pick her up and rock her as a blast erupted nearby.  
The Dreamers' were here to take what was rightfully theirs.  
She cried even harder.  
The woman carried her...(now)...only child out of the house and into the lawn where chaos ruled. The child continued to cry but a blast of fire hit the woman on her back, killing her in an instant. The child continued to sit there on the ground and cry. Her small, pudgy hands rubbing her eyes and tears away. The black, charred hole on her mother's back  
did little to comfort her. The blood oozing around her tiny legs even less so.  
And around her death came.  
But the fire did not touch her.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Dreamers  
Chapter 1, Tekken  
She entered the resteraunt and sat herself down at a table in the corner, careful not to make eye contact with anyone but the busboy/waiter. Seating herself, she took off the heavy object off her back. Her silver-lining sword was 40 lbs. not including the case it was in. The case itself was wrapped in yards of brown fabric. She wore a loose white shirt that  
was tucked into dark brown pants. The pants themselves ended a couple inches lower then her knee, the edges tucked tight into white fabric that was wrapped with strings to make a criss-cross which ended in light, dirty brown shoes.* Her hair's color was almost black and was tied into a severe ponytail with a long braid holding it together. Two thick, shoulder-length braids covered each side of her face (the closest one not quite meeting the farther edges of her eyes).  
  
The busboy/waiter was a young, thin kid with gangly arms and legs barely reaching the age of 15 years. He wore a brown shirt and black pants with a white cloth slung over one of his shoulders. His face could be considered gentle if it wasn't for the nasty scar and the grim set of his mouth.  
"What'll it be?" he asked in a rough tone.  
"Glass of water and a fried mansinio with the head cut off," the figure replied softly, quietly. The busboy/waiter gave a slight movement of his head to show he understood before leaving the figure in peace.  
//He seems nice//  
"Yeah," the girl snorted as she flipped one of the small, ceramic cups on the table over and poured herself some tea from the round pot.  
//What kind of tea is it?//  
Smelling the cup, she said, "Yaruniis."  
//I hate Yaruniis//  
"I know," she smiled as she drank the cup. She instantly got a pounding headache.  
"Okay, okay, no more tea," she laughed as she put the cup down. The headache stopped.  
"Hey, Tek, the busboy, Dreamer or Original?" she asked.  
//Both. His blood's Original but his mind's Dreamer//  
Akane flinched, "I hate those."  
//Me too// came the soft reply.  
//Akane...//  
"What?"  
//The group of guys to your far left. They're thinking about things they want to do to ya and believe me, they ain't good. I suggest we make like a banana and split//  
"But my food's not here yet and I'm really hungry," she whined, "You may not get hungry, Tek, but I still have my physical form and I need to nouri-"  
///Duck!//  
  
She did as she was told and a large, hairy hand missed her face by a few inches. Looking up, Akane saw four guys with an expression of anything but friendly on their faces. Jumping up, she grabbed her sword and strapped it onto her back as she said, "Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to interrupt a lady when she's eating? Or was she too busy screwing the closest farm animal to notice?" The man's face turned an unhealthy shade of burgendy red as he lunged for her, "You're going to pay for that!"  
  
Akane ran towards him and ducked under his opening arms, causing the poor fellow to crash into a nearby table. She suddenly felt two thin arms grab her hips and an alcohol-odor voice say in her ear, "C'mon, we know you're an Original. You should feel lucky we even notice you."  
//Bad choice of words, big guy. Now you're going to get your butt kicked and I'm not even going to say I told you so//   
Ignoring Tekken, Akane felt a pukey bile rise in her throat and she flipped the guy over her to a nearby table. Pushing her briads angrily out of her face, she huffed, "Original or not, I can still kick all ya'll Dreamers butts."  
//I'm not even going to say it//  
//Akane...//  
"Not now, Tek," the girl whispered.  
//Have a look-see around you. I think you angered some people//  
  
Looking around through wide eyes Akane saw a group of narrow-eyed people who looked at her as though she was a rodent to be murdered on the spot.  
//Looks like they know our little secret//  
"Damn!" She cursed before a sneering voice rang out, "Original, are ya? What is your master doing lettin' ya out? Get back home Ri-ri!" She ducked a flying knife just in time.  
//Get out Akane. These people are out for blood and they won't be happy until they get it//  
Looking towards her only exit and seeing it blocked, Akane bit her lip.  
//Use the force, Luke, use the force// Tekken imitated in a deep voice.  
"You still remember that?" she asked.  
//Course, dah-ling, once a Star Wars fan, always a Star Wars fan. To the death shall I part with my Star Wars//  
"Stop joking, Tek, I could really get hurt!" she whispered harshly.  
//Doll-face, I would love to watch you get your butt kicked, it'll give that ego of yours a kick in the bee-hind that it deserves. However, these people look serious so I'll save the self-esteem beating for later. Just concentrate, doll-face and this time...try not to blow anything up//  
  
"Gee, Tek, you're always a help. Why don't you try to-"  
//They're surrounding you and you're standing there babbling. I don't know why I bother sometimes//  
Sighing, Akane saw that he was telling the truth and she closed her eyes tight trying to picture some near-by hills. Her head started to get a dull ache and her skin started to feel cold and clammy. The dark hair turned silverish at the roots and her fingernails turned a dark shade of black. Suddenly, a white lightening pain slashed through her mind and it was all over.  
Instead of seeing the hills when she opened her eyes, she just saw an empty resteraunt.  
//Looked like you messed up again, mon cherie//  
"Where is everyone?" she asked in confusion.  
//Looks like instead of transporting yourself, you transported everyone else. Just be lucky you managed to move them all the way and not leave them stuck in limbo. I've been there, it's not a very happy place to be. The food sucks. Hygene is non-existent. And you do  
not want to know what *true* weightlessness feels like. If I could shiver it would be at this moment//  
  
Akane suppressed a groan and slapped her hand on her forehead for bringing on any topic even close to the limbo speach.  
//I heard that missy//  
"Okay, okay, now tell me what I should do now?" she tried to change the subject.  
//You have two legs that are workable. There's an open doorway on your left. You do the math//  
"I am geting really tired of your sarcasm, Tek. Couldn't you lay off it?" the dark-haired girl complained.  
//Sorry, babe, no can do//  
"Cynic all the way, huh?" she asked with a wry grin.  
//Yep. Now, either get your butt in gear and get out of here before that mean mob of people from before decide to use *their* legs and get back//  
"I hate it when you're right," she mumbled as she stomped out the door. The moment she exited, a figure walked from behind a stone pillar and stared at the doorway in a mixture of amazement and disbelief.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
He didn't know when it happened. He didn't even know if he could think about it anymore. Think. That seemed like such a far-away thing to him now. It was horrible. It was wonderful. It was nothing.  
He didn't feel.  
He barely thought.  
And he wasn't even sure if he knew what the five senses were.  
How soon you forget things once they're gone. Time was non-existent as well. No-that wasn't true. Time existed...and it hid in the shadows like a dark being from one of Stephen King novels...a monster under the bed that you never saw but always knew was there.  
Yes.  
He learned to be afraid of time.  
But he was terrified of the...the...*un*-feelingness...of how his senses just seemed to shut down. For awhile, he believed he was dead...but somehow he knew he wasn't. He was past death....and before birth.  
  
Limbo.  
  
Suddenly, a mind-wrenching, gut-tearing pain erupted through him and instead of feeling terrified, he rejoiced in it's dark pain. Because pain as horrible as it is...is still feeling. Suddenly there was blackness and he rejoiced in the color.  
But somehow through the darkness...he knew he wasn't alone...and this time...he wasn't afraid.  
//////ccccmmmmmmm ooootttt////////  
It was his voice.  
And he thought it.  
But he didn't say it.  
Come out, I meant to say come out. What happened to my voice? It's so hard to talk now  
  
There was a sound.  
He stopped all thought.  
Yes...there it was again...a sniffle...a tiny sniffle...  
He would have laughed at his own cruel irony. His first and probably only companion in so long...a child...  
He concentrated harder ////Cooommmeee ooouuuttt, Iiiiii wooonn't hhurt yyou//   
From the darkness walked out a tiny child of about only a few years. Her thumb was in her mouth and he would have winced at seeing the bloody jammies she wore...but he couldn't wince...because he didn't have a physical form.  
  
Really concentrating this time, he thought ///It's alright. I won't hurt you. I'm scared too//  
She hesistated a moment before lunging herself at his form and though he saw her clutching him...and he touched her...he couldn't feel her...because this wasn't his physical form.  
The blue-haired child whispered something and he had to strain to hear her,  
"Don't go." And he knew that even if he had a choice...he wouldn't. He was irrevocably tied...and he never even stood a chance. Taking a closer look at her...he saw her...but he didn't...he knew she had eyes...but he couldn't tell their shape or color. He knew she had a face but he couldn't see it.  
///How long have you been here?//  
"I don't remember. It's been too long," she murmured and somehow he understood what she meant perfectly...both in words and not.  
  
//Do you know where we are?//  
He felt her nod in what would be his shirt as the child clutched him tighter still. When she didn't talk, he found it strange that he understood what she wanted to say anyway.  
//Don't worry// he thought //You can tell me when you're ready//   
And he knew without knowing that she smiled.  
"What's your name?" she asked quietly after awhile...an eternity.  
//My name...// Did he still remember? It seemed so long ago and so unimportant now. What's in a name after all? 'A rose is still a rose...' Now, who said that? He couldn't remember anymore. Memory, one of the many things we take for granted.  
"It's okay, I don't remember either," he felt her whisper more then heard.   
//Okay, so the kid can hear me thinking. There goes all my evil thoughts and intentions//   
She gave a slight giggle.  
//My name...my name...the name's Tekken...//  
//"Like the video game"// they both thought in perfect unison.  
"Do you remember your name?" the boy now and forever knowned as Tekken asked.  
"Mm-hm. It was...Akane. Yeah, I remember, Akane," she said wistfully as if lost in a memory.  
//"Like fire"// they both thought.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"And she made them disappear!" the guy said in amazement. He sat on a patient's bed in a white medical room with his feet dangling on the sides. There was a metal sink on one side and some clear, glass cupboards with cups and jars filled with all sorts of stuff inside. The  
boy was in his early twenties, barely reaching 22 years. He was of average height with dark black hair that was tied in a neat pig-tail. He would almost look like an Original if not for the strange, grey-blue eyes that covered half his face. He was Dreamer all the way.  
  
The doctor stood in front of the patient, a cool man in his early thirties with light pepper-sprayed brown hair and round, clear glasses that showed intelligent light champagne eyes. Yup, he was Dreamer too. The doctor known to his patients as Tofu-sensei and to his friends and close aquantainces as just plain Tofu was in the process of bandaging the arm of the pig-tail guy where a nasty cut lay.  
"And you're saying she was an Original?" he asked.  
"Yeah, I could sense it. I don't get it! You know it usually doesn't take me much to bring down so many Dreamers but I had to use most of my power just to not get transported with the rest of the group. Even then, I got this cut from the flying knife that she nearly transported. I'm tellin' ya, doc, that kid's unstable as unstable can get and I just don't know how to figure it out. An Original that has the Dreamer's magic? Is that even possible?" he rambled on, his brows crossed in thought.   
  
Nearly nothing troubled Ranma Saotome. He smiled when he fought, he laughed when he hurt and he joked when he was in deep danger. But this was one of the things that did trouble this young mind. Tying the knot to the bandage, Tofu-sensei leaned back against a counter and rubbed his chin softly.  
"In logic and sense, no, it's not possible. But when did we Dreamers ever talk about logic and sense? This is new and before we figure out who she is and why she's here, we shouldn't tell the Committee yet. They might get frantic and then where would we be? No, we mustn't tell anyone. Not yet. Not until we're sure if she's from the ORB**. But if she is and she does have the Dreamer's Magic...then we'll tell the Committee. But for now, we need to find her and bring her here...just in case. Do you remember what she looked like?" the doctor questioned.  
  
Ranma groaned as he jumped off the patient's bed, "No! That's the problem. I didn't get a look at her face. She moved too fast..." Tofu heard the strain in the boy's tone and he walked over to clap a hand on his shoulder.  
"Ranma, it's okay. I know you're worried...but you don't have to be. Anybody could have missed her face. We're not even sure who she is or what she is. Original or Dreamer. But for now...just try to relax," the doctor reassured him though he couldn't believe his own words.  
"But what if...what if she's..."  
"Don't," came the stern interruption, "That's just a legend meant to scare kids. Just get some sleep and we'll talk about it tomorrow."  
"Okay, doc, I'll see you later," he sighed as walked out the room.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"We're in my mind, you know," he barely heard the child whisper. It's been...who knows how long since he went out of limbo to this non-existant place where the child named Akane was. A roaring fire that she made appear sat cackling in front of him. He didn't question her about it...but he always wondered how she coulde just make things appear like that.  
//You're mind?// he asked and yet somehow it made sense.  
"Yeah," came the soft reply. After a moment of silence and an eternity of thought he asked quietly  
//Akane, why are you telling me this now?//  
It was a long while now of deep silence. He was positive she wasn't going to answer when she said,  
"Because I want to leave now. I didn't want to tell you earlier because...because I know something."  
//What?//  
"I have a body. You don't. We're going to have to share mine," and he knew she was crying again.   
If he could smile, he would now.  
//Hey, kid, it's okay. It's not like you're really ugly, right?// There, he got a laugh out of her.  
"I'm going to try it now...and it's going to hurt you alot because I'll have to bring you to the surface. Do you...do you want to?" she asked and her voice told him she was begging for him to say yes.  
//Course, kid, I'm from the generation X, nothing scares me// but he was shaking with fear.  
"Okay, hold on..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
//Can't we go somewhere without a mad, angry mob of people trying to kill you?//   
"Let's just say I'm not a people-person," Akane growled out as she chopped down some more leaves and stomped through the forest. It was mid-morning and the birds were chirping slightly as bits of bright sunshine escaped through the treetops and made it to the forest ground. Leaves crumpled underneath her foot and sweat poured down her body in beads.  
//Hey, Akane, you remember the songs from the old days? Of course not. Let me just sing some for you. Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock, jingle bell...something...and jingle bell somethin'. Nah, let's try another one. Jingle bells, batman smells, Robin laid an-//  
"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?!" she screamned as she stomped on the ground. The treetops shook as all the birds and animals scurried away in fear.   
//Touchy//  
  
"Grrr-" but her growl was cut off by a female screech somewhere nearby.  
//Now, Akane, I suggest we mind our own business and just continue on our-//  
"Someone's in trouble! We gotta help!" came the yell as she charged through the wilderness.  
//I don't know why I bother//  
The sight that greeted Akane stopped her in her tracks. Three poachers were glaring at a large panda in a barred cage. The poor creature was whining and beating at the bars in a piteous fashion. It would have been funny if not for the fact that the panda was three seconds away from being bar-b-q meat.  
"What do we do?" she asked.  
//What goes around comes around//  
"Huh?"  
//Do unto others as you would do unto yourself//  
"What?!"  
//Give them a taste of their own medicine//  
"Okay, Tek, I'm serious, what-"  
//Turn them all into pandas. Sheesh!//  
  
Closing her eyes, Akane concentrated on trying to see three pandas as she whispered ///...pandapandapanda.../// over and over in her head. After the blast of white light past through her, she opened her eyes to see that the poachers were gone and the panda in the cage had shut up.  
"What'd I do?" the fearful voice asked Tekken.  
//Look around the cage. What do you see?//  
Akane looked and what she saw made her slap her forehead.  
"I said panda! Not banana! What am I going to do with three bananas? Tekken, they're going to be alright, right?" she asked with a slight tremor in her voice.  
//Don't give yourself that much credit, doll-face. You're spells never last that long. They'll turn back to they're greasy, mean selves in no time at all. That is, if they aren't eaten first//  
  
Hearing this, Akane's heartbeat went back to beating something close to normal as she walked over to one of the pile of clothes and fished out a key. Walking over she unlocked the cage and opened the door.  
"Now go! Shoo!" she gestured to the panda but the stupid animal just looked at her dumbly before pulling a pair of glasses (without glass) from it's fur and putting it on. The blue-haired girl watched in utter amazement as the panda pulled out a large sign from nowhere.  
[Thank you, m'dear] it said. Or rather, that was what was written on the sign.  
"Tekken?" the girl asked the person in her head.  
  
//Don't worry, doll, the panda can't harm you, it's too stupid to.//  
The panda flipped the sign over as it growled.  
[Who you calling stupid?]  
"You can hear Tek?" Akane asked the panda in disbelief.  
//Of course it can hear me, Akane. It's a spirit just like me. Before the invasion of the Dreamers, it was a human just like you and me but during the invasion, it's spirit got sent to limbo, like mine. It's physical form got destroyed like mine and whoever it is that deals with stuff like this gave it another body instead of making it share one like me. The body it got was a panda's form.//  
  
Nodding, the panda flipped the sign over again, [The kid's right, m'dear]  
//Who are you callin' a kid-// but he was interrupted by Akane.  
"What's your name?" she asked.  
The panda flipped the sign over again, [Genma]  
Akane's eyes scrunched slightly in bewilderment, "How do you do that? I don't see you write on the signs."  
//He can transport his thoughts onto the sign and onto many other things//  
[The kid's right again]  
//Don't call me a kid, Genma-panda//  
[Then don't call me Genma-panda!]   
  
Now Akane rarely like people. The only person she liked having be Tek. But for the second time in her life, she actually liked another person-er-panda. She felt the familiar connection with Genma so she smiled brightly as she said, "Guys, guys! Stop acting childish. My name is Akane. The idiot in my head is Tek, Genma. Since you're all by yourself, do you want to travel with us, Genma? We would love to have you along."  
[I would love to, Ne-darling]  
//Nuh uh! No way!//  
"Sorry, Tek, it's settled. You never got to vote," and in the back of her mind she could feel the spirit pout.  
  
So off they went into the woods. Three spirits in the body of a panda and a young woman.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  



	2. Village Folk

The Dreamers'

Chapter 2, Village Folk

Author's Notes: And she's back! :) Thanks to *all* of my nice readers. Yeah! Really, though, thank you. :) Now, onto this little ficcie. Enjoy...

Disclaimers: You mean it doesn't belong to me?! *looks around at pile of fanfics* Um...right...it belongs to the great Rumiko Takahashi! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Is the leash really necessary?] the panda signed.

Akane grinned as she left the public toilet, pulling the panda along behind her.

"Tekken says it is."

[Tekken's an idiot]

Her eyes wide, Akane ran over and pulled the sign from Genma's hand. Immediately, it disappeared in her own.

"Do you want to get us caught?" she asked in a harsh whisper. "You're just an ordinary panda! Act like one!" Inside her mind, she could practically feel Tekken grin in satisfaction. He always grinned when Genma got yelled at.

[It's not fair] a small, wooden sign appeared in front of her face before quickly disappearing.

//Few things in life are//

The panda just glared into Akane's eyes to silently convey his own message.

Rolling her eyes, Akane pulled Genma along with her through t he busy street into the hotel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the young boy left, Akane used the key to opened the door to her hotel room. She walked inside. The room was pretty small, with only one bed, small table, a closet, and a candle every night. At least it had it's own private bathroom and she didn't have to share with the other occupants of the hotel. Genma walked in a grumbled to himself as he flipped a sign.

[I call the bed]

//Animals on the floor, old man. Hotel rules// came Tekken's pleased snicker.

[Hmph! Only weaklings need a bed anyway] then seeing the girl's glare, he quickly flipped over the sign [...not to say that Ne is a weakling, of course]

Giving him a look that said 'that's better, Akane yawned and made her way toward the door to the bathroom.

"You guys are gonna have to argue later. I am going to take a bath...and then a long...long nap," in which she yawned again to emphasize her point. The blue-haired girl pushed open the door to the bathroom-

-and her ears were cut off by a shriek. She only caught a flash of red before a hand connected with her cheek. When the stars were gone, Akane's shocked eyes turned to stare into a pair of flashing, blue ones.

"Hentai!" the other with the blue eyes yelled and the dark-haired girl noticed that her blue-eyed companion was clutching a towel to herself. 

"Wha-I...wha-...what?!" Akane yelled, herself now angry. Who was this girl? What right did she have to hit her? How dare she hit her and call her any names! Her anger brewing, she didn't notice her two traveling companions to come back to her; Tekken from the recesses of her mind where he was so she could bathe and Genma from the other room.

"Who are you?" the flashing, red-head asked. "And what are you doing in my room?"

"Who am I?" Akane yelled in indignation. "Who are you? And what are you doing in *my* room?"

The red-haired girl bristled a second before narrowing her large blue eyes. Akane couldn't stop staring at them. Who in the world had eyes that large and that bright?

Akane's own eyes started to wander down the girl's body before snapping back up again with an angry blush.

"Tekken!" she whispered harshly.

//Sorry// he said, not sounding sorry at all. //I'm still human, ya know//

Unfortunately, the other girl noticed Akane's wandering eyes and not understanding the true situation behind it, she jumped on her first assumption.

Pushing the blue-haired girl out of the way, she grumbled, "I got to find the manager. I can't stay in a room with this pervert."

"What? I am not a pervert!" Akane screamed as she heard both Tekken's and Genma's snickers. Her anger getting the better of her, like it always did, she saw a hammer in her mind...and in the next second it was in her hand. With a swipe, she swung the now materialized, wooden mallet towards the walking red-head...

..but the other girl turned around at the last minute and caught it.

Her eyes glimmering with a slight humor, the red-head asked, "So, you're a dreamer, huh?"

"No!" Akane yelled, her anger forcing the truth out of her.

Still holding onto Akane's mallet, the red-head's eyes shaded in confusion for a moment before lighting as though a great realization came through her. She looked Akane up and down again as though seeing her for the first time.

Feeling self conscious, Akane pulled the mallet back and it disappeared in her hands.

"What?" she asked the red-head.

After a moment's consideration, the other girl mumbled to herself, "Maybe I won't go to the manager after all..."

Having enough of this, Akane tightened her mouth and started to walk out the room.

"Well, if you won't...then I will."

The red-head's eyes widened (if it could), before she ran after Akane and pulled at her arm.

"Listen," she said, "It's just one night. Where are you traveling?"

"Why should I tell you?" the blue-haired girl said. For a moment, the red-head wondered why she didn't noticed how brown the other girl's eyes were....and how warm.

Snapping out of her stupor, she said, "My name's Ranko. I don't have anywhere to go. Can't I travel with you?"

"Why would you want to do that?" the ever-suspicious girl asked.

"Because," the red-head said, her voice quivering ever so slightly, "I don't have anywhere to go... my parents were killed by a bunch of dreamers awhile back...and...I...I really need a friend." The answer sounded so sincere...so utterly heart-breaking...Akane fell for it.

"Well...alright...come on..." Akane sighed as she headed back towards the room. She missed the victorious grin that covered Ranko's face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is he your panda?" Ranko asked from her place outside the bathroom door. She looked sigustedly at the snoring, fat panda on the floor.

"Yeah," Akane yelled over the sound of running water.

"How'd you get him?" the red-head asked.

"Um...I guess you could say I found him. His old owners were um...quite fruity in the mind...t tell you the truth. They had no business taking care of a panda when they couldn't even take care of themselves." At least it was true...in a way...

"Cool," was all Ranko said.

They continued to talk for another half hour as Akane bathed. Then, the door opened and Ranko looked up to stare at a wet Akane with only a large shirt on her. Blushing, the other girl looked down and reprimanded herself...trying to get her mind to focus on her mission...and not on how...Akane...looked.

"So, who gets the bed?" she asked flippantly, then clenched her mouth shut in instant regret. *Sheesh! You're supposed to be a girl!* she shouted to herself. It was sure getting hard to remember how to act in this body.

"I mean," Ranko quickly said, "I'm not used to sleeping in beds. I've been on the road for too long. I'm more comfortable sleeping on the floor." Akane just shrugged and went to turn off the light before going to sleep. 

So, that was how Ranko ended up with a sleepless night beside a smelly, snoring panda...with thoughts of dark brown eyes haunting her till morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Akane was awoken by the sound of grunts and the breaking of wood. Groaning to herself, she walked over to the window just in time to see a flashing form beat the crap out of a wooden board. Over to her left she could hear Genma still snoring, despite the racket and in her mind, she could feel Tekken's soothing 'breaths' of sleep.

"Ranko!" she shouted down from the window and the other girl stopped to look up. "What are you doing up? The sun hasn't even come up yet."

"Oh sorry, Akane," the other said sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck. "I'm just used to waking up really early to train, that's all."

"Train?"

"Yeah," the red-head replied brightly to the questioning tone. "I study Martial Arts."

"Really?" Akane's face had brightened up considerably. "I do too! Do you mind if I come down and train with you?" The prospect of having another person to train with was so wonderful, Akane forgot all about the fact that it was around three in the morning.

"Sure." With one last grin, Akane rushed from the window to change. 

Outside in the lawn, Ranko was anticipating the match more then Akane would ever know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few minutes later, Ranko turned around to see Akane standing in the yard, dressed in an old, yellow gi. The girl herself was wearing dark, silk, black pants and a large, silk, red shirt.

"Where'd you get the gi?" the red-head asked.

The blue-haired girl just nervously answered, "Um...I found it. Now, are you ready?"

Getting into a fighting stance, Ranko answered, "You know it."

The two...*ahem*...females circled each other for awhile in the dark of the night, both with grins on their faces. 

"You gonna attack first or should I?" Akane asked.

"Why don't we-" but her sentence was cut off by a jab to the left side of her face. 

Moving to the right just in time to duck it, Ranko laughed, "No fair. You cheated."

"There's no such thing as cheating when you fight," Akane grunted out as she threw some more fast jabs at Ranko...only to have them all miss. Angry, the brown-eyed girl threw some more fast punches and kicks at Ranko, only to have them all miss.

"How'd you get so fast?" she asked as she threw an over-head kick at the girl.

"I practice," Ranko said, grinning.

"Why won't you attack me?" Akane shouted in frustration as she started to back Ranko up against a wall.

"I don't like to hit girls," came the tart reply. Ranko was so caught up in the way Akane's eyes flashed sparks of anger that she almost missed the fist flying her way. Almost. With a flip, she missed the fist by a mere seconds.

Akane stared at where her fist was now embedded into the wooden wall as she replayed what happened? Where was Ranko? Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Ranko saw Akane turn around in shock with her mouth agape. Oh boy, she thought, now she's angry.

Slowly...Akane broke into a smile.

"Boy, am I glad I don't have to fight you seriously," Akane said, laughing, before she turned around towards the door. "Now, come on, we don't want to be here when the manager finds that dent in his wall."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, Ranko, since you're going to be traveling with us, I think you should know some things," Akane said that morning at breakfast. The red-haired girl had to snap her attention away from the panda who was rapidly putting the hotel into bankruptcy.

"What things?"

Sighing, Akane said, "Well, for one, there's a guy in my head. His name's Tekken."

"What?"

The girl gave another sigh before explaining, "Yeah, it's true. When Tekken died or whatever, somehow he got stuck in my head. You can't hear him but Genma and I can. I'm telling you this so you won't think we're crazy when we start talking to ourselves. Second, Genma isn't an ordinary panda. He's different...you can say he's a man stuck in a panda'a body. When he talks, he does signs. Watch. Genma say something."

Ranko turned over to see a sign in her face saying [Do you want that last roll?]

She shook her head and in the next second the sign was gone...and so was her roll.

"So..." Akane asked. "What do you think?"

Ranko's blue eyes sparkled with amusement as she commented dryly, "It sure makes life more interesting, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does," Akane smiled.

//Now, that you told her about me, can we hurry up and move on//

"What's your rush?" Akane asked...though ti did seem more strange now that she had company to watch her talking to Tek.

//I don't know. It's just a feeling. I want to get back on the road//

Rolling her eyes, Akane dropped some money on the table and grabbing Genma, she said to Ranko, "Let's hit the road. Tekken's afraid the boogey-man might get him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranko gave a sigh of satisfaction as she lowered herself into the hot spring. It had been so very long since she allowed herself the luxury of a nice, hot bath. It was easy enough to convince Akane about her being a privacy fanatic out here in the middle of the woods. Akane had said just to call if she needed anything. Akane...with her dark brown eyes that flashed and glowed...with her long, dark black-blue hair and laughing lips...with her-

Ugh! She was doing it again! Even after the transformation took place, Ranko still ranted at himself for thinking about the blue-haired, brown-eyed paradox of a girl. He had been traveling with the group for nearly two months now and still he could not figure any of them out! Genma was obviously a fat slob...but there was something about him...an edge...an observant eye...something that just didn't settle right with Ranko. It was as though his whole demeanor was really just an act...like the Martial Arts of the Drunken Master. The appearance was not what really was. 

Then, there was that guy in Akane's head, Tekken. Right away, Ranko didn't like him...not because of any real reason...just...why did he have the right to talk to Akane whenever he wanted? Why did Akane always act as if...he...he was...

Ranko shook her now male head in disgust. He was not jealous! He wasn't! Of course not! He wasn't getting attached to the blue-haired girl! No way! He was just fulfilling his duty to his people and to the T.H.R.O.W.N to see what Akane's true purpose was. Through the weeks, Ranko had noticed Akane slipping every now and then...and performing something that only a Dreamer could. The girl had feigned innocence afterwards and refused to say anything about it...but Ranko knew that Akane and the spirit in her head was hiding something from her. If only she could just-

A scream broke through her thoughts and Ranko sat up in shock. His senses had been alert as he waited for it to come again. There it was! Akane was screaming! Jumping up, Ranko picked up his pants and pulled them on quickly, forgetting to note how more fitting they seemed. His shirt forgotten, Ranko made way towards where Akane's scream had come from. 

Once he made it to the campfire, he saw Genma knocked out unconscious on the floor and Akane struggling in the arms of a thin, willowy guy. The guy had a hand around Akane's neck and instead of fighting, the girl was just screaming in pain...all of her instincts and fighting skills gone. Two other tall, thin guys stood behind the first. 

"Tell us where he is," the guy with his arm around Akane's neck commanded. Before Akane could answer that confusing question, Ranko...too driven by his anger to proceed with cauting...had ran head-long towards the group. He gave a hard kick at the first guy's abdomen and when the guy bent over in pain, Ranko grabbed onto Akane and pulled her from the other's grip. The pain gone and her wits back, Akane turned towards one of the guys and took enjoyment from beating him into a bloody pulp. Ranko was too busy handling the other two.

By the time they were done, the three tall guys were on the floor, unconscious.

That was when Akane noticed her rescuer.

"Akane, you okay?" her rescuer asked. Akane turned around to tell him that she had things under control until he came along, but at the sight of him...her breath caught.

There in front of her stood a boy about her age with dark, black hair tied into a pig-tail. That wasn't what made her breath leave though...it was the large, blue-gray eyes. It was the color of the sky before rain fell and a storm hit.

"Akane, you okay?" the guy asked again, his voice concerned as he walked over.

"Huh? Yeah...I'm fine...thanks," she said, blushing slightly. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting this way? Akane dimly noted that Tekken was saying something in her head. 

"What?" she whispered hoarsely to Tekken.

//If you would stop drooling over him a moment, you would notice that he knows your name. Who is he?//

Berating herself for acting this way, Akane's suspicions were back up.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?" she asked.

The boy suddenly noticed his predicament. So, like a kid that still knows how to ride a bike after seven years, he reverted back to what he did whenever he encountered a suspicious female. He charmed them. 

"A friend," he whispered softly.

"Oh really?" Akane said dryly, now out of her stupor. "Might I ask how this certain friend knows my name or will it be too rude of me?" He should have known the charm thing wouldn't work on Akane.

Now what? Well, when in doubt...improvise.

"Nothing gets pass you, huh?" he asked wryly and when all Akane did was put a hand on her hip he sighed.

Gesturing towards the unconscious attackers he said, "These guys are out to get me and my sister. There's probably more of them."

"That still doesn't answer my question."

"My sister's name is Ranko," he said and seeing the dawn of comprehension in Akane's eyes, he continued, "Ever since our parents died, I've had to go off. She had to travel by herself for awhile, but she still wrote to me so that I'm never far. She wrote to me about you, the panda, and Tekken. I guess I should say thanks for taking care of her."

//You're not going to believe that bunch of baloney, are you?//

Ignoring Tekken, Akane gave a small, "Oh."

"Well, I guess that makes sense. Now, what are we going to do about them?" she questioned, her eyes toward the trio of attackers.

"Just leave them here and move on," the boy suggested. "There's nothing we can do about them. They'll report back to whoever they came from and then you and Ranko will have some company. Just...if they do come again...send Ranko out to get me, okay?"

"Hey!" Akane said, indignantly, her temper starting to flare. "I can take care of myself."

The guy gave a crooked, half-grin and Akane felt something flutter inside her. Flutter? Did something just flutter? Oh no, the stress of the day was really beginning to get to her if she felt something flutter.

"I'm sure you can. I just want to make sure my sister's okay." Then, the boy turned to leave.

For some reason Akane didn't want to see him go just yet.

"Wait!" she said, latching onto his arm. "What's your name?"

"Ranma." He said...and then he was gone.

//I don't like him//

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You may leave now," the Council dismissed the trio of fighters. 

In agitation, Thebes, the Head of the Council turned to the Doctor standing against the left wall.

"Well, what do you have to say?" he asked.

Dr. Tofu looked up from his thoughts and said, his voice sincere, "I honestly do not know where he is."

"But you know why he has left and you will not tell us!" Amie shouted shrilly from her seat.

Shooting a stern look at the woman, the young doctor said calmly, "What secret is it whenever that boy leaves? He always leaves and he always comes back."

"There is something you are not telling us, Tofu," Thebes snapped.

"It is nothing of importance," Tofu snapped back. "I have had enough of this discussion. I am not to be interrogated because the boy has left. He has his own feet and he may do as he wish." With that the doctor turned to leave but Thebes words halted him at the door.

"By the way...how's your Original female doing, Tofu? Is she still healthy? I might have to pay her a visit some time."

His hand tightening on the doorknob, Tofu grinded out, "You will not dare touch a hair on her head."

"Do not tell the Council what they can and can not do, Doctor. We make the rules here, it's best that you remember it," came Thebes cool reply.

"Too bad your rules can't control one youth," Tofu countered sharply before leaving the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stared at her soft face for awhile while she slept, the sunlight dancing off her pale face. The young man's heart ached at the knowledge deep inside him. How surreal she looked...like an image or a ghost...an illusion to break one's heart and soul. One sent to destroy with it's soft touch.

Her lashes fluttered for a second before opening and her light golden eyes centering on him.

He gulped.

"Hello, Dr. Tofu," she said, her voice soft and angelic.

"You should rest, Kasumi. You shouldn't be out of bed," he said as he walked over and picked her up. She was so light...so weak...even the thick blanket around her didn't have much weight to it.

"Oh, I know," she said. "It's just I wanted to be here when you got home from the meeting. What did the Council say? Have they decided about that they are going to do?"

"No," he said as he gulped down a lump in his throat. He had reached her door and with one hand had opened it.

"Well, I hope they decide to leave Ranma be. He's such a sweet boy, Tofu," she said softly as she gave a small yawn. That sweet boy can mean the death of you Kasumi, the doctor thought but didn't say as he tucked her into the small bed.

Her eyes started to close again and with a contented look, she was asleep.

Dr. Tofu had to swallow back the tears as he looked at her. It just had to be his luck that he would fall in love with a 400 year old Original.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


End file.
